Mulliner Limited Edition: Continental GT Number 9 Edition

As Bentley celebrates 100 extraordinary years, Mulliner has created something truly exceptional to mark the occasion – The Continental GT Number 9 Edition. Only 100 of these remarkable cars will ever be produced.

The Number 9 Edition pays tribute to Bentley’s proud racing heritage and to one of the most influential figures in the company’s history. It is the epitome of Bentley’s ceaseless quest to offer you unrivalled design and an exhilarating, involving drive.

A unique fusion of past and present

This limited Edition Continental GT features a series of interior and exterior design tributes to one of the most famous cars in Bentley’s history – the No. 9 Blower. The original No. 9 is famed for breaking records, wowing spectators and capturing hearts and minds during the 1920s and 1930s. The character of the car made it an instant favourite and an enduring legend of motor racing. Indeed, author Ian Fleming was so taken with the Blower, he made it the original Bond car. You can read more about the legendary Bentley Blower here.

A piece of history in every car

Each of the 100 cars in the Continental GT Number 9 Edition contains something incredibly rare – a piece of the racing seat from Sir Tim Birkin’s iconic 1930 No. 9 Le Mans race car. It is a seat that contains countless stories, having set several speed records, ensuring its place in Bentley’s history. The original seat was replaced during restoration works on the car – which still races today – and now this priceless piece of Bentley’s story has found a permanent home. A fragment of wood from the seat is proudly displayed in the Bentley Rotating Display, adding a piece of the Bentley story to every car.

Breathtaking by design

You can choose between two luxurious paint colours – Beluga and Mulliner’s newly created Viridian. Making its debut with the Number 9 Edition, Viridian represents a modern take on the traditional racing green of the original No. 9 Blower. Beluga offers a different direction, with a deep, luxurious black. The car’s 22” painted wheels can either match the car’s exterior, or you can use the other paint colour as a striking contrast. An 18-carat gold-plated No. 9 exterior badge, showcasing the extraordinary Mulliner craft, provides the perfect finishing touch.

THE PINNACLE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP

The heritage of the No. 9 Blower is visible throughout the cabin of the Continental GT Number 9 Edition. An exclusive British Jaeger clock face and the turned aluminium Engine Spin finish on the central console evoke the power and racing pedigree of the original car. The debossed B from the door pads of the original No. 9 has been lovingly recreated on the headrests and door pads, and the hides are given a high-gloss finish, to more closely represent the style of the 1930s.

The original Blower

The Bentley Boys and Bentley Girls were a group of thrill-seeking young men and women who lived the high life on and off the track. Their passion for racing won Bentley five Le Mans titles over seven years. That spirit was crucial to the development of the original Blower.

Sir Tim Birkin, a Bentley Boy and former fighter pilot, was among the first to experiment with superchargers. He worked with British engineer Amherst Villiers to develop a supercharger that would sit on the front of the Bentley 4½ Litre’s engine – increasing the power and speed of the car. However, W.O. Bentley was reluctant to pursue the idea, so much so that he refused company assistance for Birkin’s project.

Not one to give up easily, Birkin forged ahead and set up his own workshop with help from wealthy racehorse owner and Bentley Girl Dorothy Paget. Villiers was able to rework his design, and the results were staggering, increasing the power output from 130 bhp to 175 bhp. Woolf Barnato, Bentley’s Chairman, was so impressed he decided that the No. 9 Blower should race under the Bentley name. He was proven right when Tim Birkin set a new lap record at Le Mans in 1930. It’s this legendary spirit and unwavering pursuit of greatness that has inspired today’s Continental GT Number 9.

A century of exquisite craftsmanship

One of the oldest coachbuilding companies in the world, the Mulliner family were originally saddlers. Later they began building horse-drawn carriages, before entering the brave new world of automobiles at the end of the 19th Century. With a reputation for skill and attention to detail, they created many bespoke bodies for Bentley models during the racing years of the 1920s and continue to do so today.

Today, Mulliner is an official part of Bentley, creating bespoke commissions limited only by your imagination. The now-restored original No. 9 sits proudly in the Bentley factory, while the Continental GT Number 9 Edition by Mulliner perfectly captures the spirit of this legendary car. To discover more about this remarkable limited edition, register your interest here.